Discover the Stories Inside Cursed LandsDo you dare venture into Cursed Lands, where magic, danger, and romance lurk between the shadows and the light?

We know you’ve been waiting a while, but we have good news! Cursed Lands is now available on Amazon as well as iBooks, Nook (Barnes & Noble) and Kobo. You can help support our goal of hitting the USA Today bestseller list AND secure your exclusive copy of 22 brand-new dystopian, urban fantasy and paranormal romance books by pre-ordering today for just 99 cents.

Join our courageous heroines and heroes as they battle demons, governments, and secret organizations in worlds where fae, vampires, angels, witches, humans, and more fight for survival. These page-turning tales will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

(Please note: the Cursed Lands authors cannot be held responsible for irritability, grumpiness, caffeine overdose or other effects of sleep deprivation resulting from your addiction to the stories in the Cursed Lands boxed set.)

And… don’t forget about our special pre-order gift! Everyone who pre-orders Cursed Lands can claim a bonus pack of 15+ FREE e-books by some of the Cursed Lands authors. Once you’ve pre-ordered, claim your gift by visiting our website.

We’ve been super busy over the past few months getting stories down on paper (well, okay, on our laptop’s hard drives!) but we can now reveal details of what you’ll be reading in the Cursed Lands Boxed Set…

Icehaven by Kim Cresswell and M.K. Chester

When twenty-two-year-old August Madison finds herself resurrected in a frozen wasteland, an iron-fisted dictator collecting survivors with unexplained paranormal abilities sees an opportunity he can exploit. She sees an evil she must destroy.

Cirque de la Lune by Emma Hamm

Frank Fairwell had it all, until someone tried to kill him by tossing him in a river. But when he washes up on the shore of a Circus whose acts seem all too real, he finds his life permanently changed. Forever.

Among Shadows by Nina Walker

Tristan thought becoming a Royal Officer would be exciting, but it’s turning out to be nothing more than glorified babysitting. That is, until he meets a Color Alchemist with wicked magic—things are finally getting interesting.

Orion’s Kiss by Claire Luana

Meriah will do whatever it takes to save her sisters from a deadly ancient curse. Even if it means killing the cutest guy she’s met all year. Unless she can find another way…

Crimson Mage by Dorothy Dreyer

The legend goes …

The ancient deity Kashmeru knew only one true love—the Lotus empress Lakshmi, who in his eyes possessed all beauty and grace the universe could hold, but Lakshmi knew that Kashmeru’s spirit was not pure, for within him dwelled an evil so corrupt it could destroy the universe.

And when she denied him her love, destroying the universe was the very thing he vowed to do.

Behind Glass by Elle Scott

A Nephilim with no memory of her past discovers she has telekinetic powers. When she accidentally uses her new ability in public she becomes the number one target for demons who hunt angels for their grace.

Daughter of Dragons by A.J. Flowers

First there were fangs, and then there were the dreams. I’m turning into a dragon… and my knight in shining armor is coming to kill me.

Shadows & Light by Krista Street

Being a supernatural healer isn’t easy, especially when a stalker wants you burned at the stake. Fortunately, Daria Gresham’s new bodyguard is the sexiest man she’s ever met, but he has a secret that could shatter her entire world.

The Shadow City by Alison Ingleby

Eighteen-year-old Vesper’s dreams of attending the Royal Academy are shattered when she’s branded a criminal and dumped on the city floor to die. In the shadow city, factions war and monsters roam the streets. But Vesper’s biggest fear is the power she wields—a power she can’t control.

Salem 2317 by Angela Kulig and Taylor Haiden

Arwyn Blake has two jobs, kill the nonmagical nomads who dare call Salem home, and continue her bloodline by marrying a man she hates. When Arwyn impulsively spares the life of a pale-eyed rebel, she uncovers a lie that changes more than just her destiny.

Loving the Legend by B. Kristin McMichael

Andrew Lucan wanted nothing more than to get out of the night human world, but all that has changed. Now he only wants one thing in life—Arianna to notice him. First she needs to learn that monsters do exist and he’s one of them.

Alien Discovery by Ella Wayne

When her memories were activated, she learned her real life was elsewhere. She was chosen by the Aliens for their breeder program. But would she leave Earth for good only to serve the hottest Aliens in this galaxy?

Lone Survivor by Jenna Lee

Sadie was created in a lab – an experiment that scientists were supposed to get rid of on her eighteenth birthday. But a fire breaks out and she’s the only survivor. Or is she? Now, she’s tracking other misfits like her before the secret government agency that created her can track them all down for themselves.

Stolen Magic by Char Webster

Mystics Aria and Damian have hated each other for centuries. Now, they are forced to work together to capture a killer who is threatening the entire supernatural world.

Rune: A Chosen Chronicles Novel by K.A. Parkinson

For seven years Rune has lived among a group Lost Ones, content fighting the Dark in his own way, the past left in the past. But his ruthless Watcher has found him once again and the choice she offers him leaves only two options: fight against the most dangerous woman in the world, or risk losing the only people he’s ever truly loved.

Shades of Human by J.L. Myers

A girl who sees monsters. A stalker who saves lives. Is this a dream come true, or are Calli’s nightmares coming to life?

Shades of Fate by Steven Whibley

Darius Gates’ life of thousands of years is near its end. Now, a corrupt group of non-humans plan to use his death to gain global power, forcing Darius to call upon ancient allies for a final desperate battle to save the loved ones he’ll leave behind.

Bloodlines: The Dark Fae Chronicles by S. K. Gregory

When Nova discovers her Fae heritage, she becomes a target. With the Dark Fae Queen trying to eradicate humans, Nova may be their last hope.

Curse of a Jinn by Lichelle Slater

When Gwen finds an old painting in an abandoned house, she accidentally wakes a Jinn. She has no idea his secrets could kill them both.

Ashes of Raging Water by Michael J. Allen

Dark faeries plague Atlanta, trading wishes for slaves and souls. When rival mischief devolves into war, a young phoenix reborn from water must risk True Death to save us from our own cataclysmic desires.

War of the Rose Covens by Lee French

Magic turned sixteen-year-old Sophie into her mother’s favorite disappointment, and the feeling is mutual. After fleeing the Petal Society Coven, she’s forced to learn the dark truth of why she’s now being hunted down, and why even her new friends can’t save her.

Iron & Wine by Candace Osmond

Three mythical races. Decades of ancient war. And the love of one girl to save them all.

With an evil fairy Hell-bent on her demise and decades of a mythical war coming to fruition…Avery must find a way to help her magical friends end the ancient feud before the effects spill over into her own world.

But when the love of a gorgeous Australian vampire turns her life upside down, Avery finds her heart hanging in the balance…as well as her humanity.

We’re so excited to announce the official I ❤️ YA/NA Scavenger Hunt, sponsored by the authors of the Cursed Lands Boxed Set, a limited edition Young Adult and New Adult Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian Collection!

This massive scavenger hunt will be your chance to meet some new young adult, new adult and simply awesome authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a bunch of epic prizes! In addition to a $100 grand prize, many of the authors will be offering free books and other prizes!

HOW TO PLAY
Each author will be given a special keyword, which will be bolded and all caps like this: CURSED.
All you have to do is visit all the author’s sites in the correct order HERE, write down the special keywords in their blog post to discover the short story, then enter the giveaway with the completed secret story on the Cursed Lands website.
There will be one main giveaway for the Grand Prize, but most of the participating authors will also have smaller giveaways for free books, gift cards, or author swag, so make sure you read their post carefully to see what else they’re offering while you’re on their site for the keyword!

TIMELINE
Participating authors will have their post up with their secret keyword, giveaway, and behind the scenes info, excerpt, about their Cursed Lands story by February 1! Readers just need to go through the list, find the words, and use the story to enter for the grand prize. The last day to complete the hunt and enter to win the Grand Prize is February 14!

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?

Read the EXCERPT below from ICEHAVEN by Kim Cresswell and M.K. Chester. Icehaven is included in the CURSED LANDS Boxed Set. Find the secret word in CAPS and BOLDED. Write it down and string it together with the words from all the other hunt stops to win the grand prize $100 Amazon Gift card!

1. ICEHAVEN EXCERPT

August frowned at the cause of her stress. She wasn’t ever surprised by her brother’s tardiness. He was always late, an eighteen-year-old who had an excuse for everything. All he had to do was pick up their younger sister from school and show up on time for their father’s shining moment. Just be on time for ONCE. Do what was expected. One time.

“I’ll call him.” August snatched her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans and hit speed dial. He finally answered on the fourth ring, right before voicemail kicked in. “Where are you? You’re late.”

“Chloe was poky leaving class.”

August rolled her eyes, knowing her brother had been up all-night playing video games with his friends. She’d bet her Yale tuition he’d been sleeping and hadn’t gotten up in time. “Hurry up, Dad’s asking for you.”

“I’m pulling into the university parking lot. Wow, there’s a ton of people here. I didn’t know this was such a big deal.”

She checked her watch again. Five minutes. “You’ve known your whole life how important this is to him.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes.”

August ended the call and forced a smile for her father. “They’ll be here soon.”

He nodded and put his arm around her shoulder. “I don’t want them to miss it. This will be a story you’ll tell your own children one day.”

She smiled, imagining a future where the climate wasn’t the dominant issue of the day. Her father hadn’t been this happy in a long time. Five years almost to the day her mother had passed away. He deserved some happiness.

While the auditorium filled to standing room only with faculty, students and media, excitement buzzed in the air. Her father really was about to make history, his experiment, his hard work bringing them to this moment. She took a seat in the front row beside him and looked up at the screen. A low hum caught her attention. Unsure where the sound was coming from, she glanced over her shoulder, searching for her brother and sister, disappointed for her father that Luke was probably going to be too late. The humming grew louder. August covered her ears, the high-pitched deafening sound too much.

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-January. I’m already dreaming of spring. 🙂 So, what could be better than a huge January Book Fair Sponsored by AuthorGrow & OTOHbooks? The fair is loaded with FREE and DISCOUNTED ebooks to fill that new eReader you got for Christmas or use those holiday gift cards. There’s lots to choose from. Includes the limited edition Cursed Lands Boxed Set and Deadly Shadow for only $.99 each!

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers, and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

What was your favorite book of 2018? And, more importantly, what are you planning to read in 2019?

All our Cursed Lands authors are avid readers, and while we love keeping on top of new releases, we also get really excited when we discover an old series that’s new to us. After all, there’s nothing better than finding a new author you love and being able to binge read a series from start to finish!

From Christmas jumpers to putting out cookies and milk for Santa, we all have Christmas traditions that have been passed down through the generations. But my favorite tradition of all is Iceland’s “Yule book flood”, or Jólabókaflóð.

Originating in World War II when imports to the country were restricted, Iceland’s bookish tradition involves exchanging books on Christmas eve and then spending the rest of the evening reading.

Could there be a more perfect holiday tradition?

In fact, Iceland could well lay claim to being the most book-loving nation on earth. A study found it to be the world’s third most literate nation (behind Finland and Norway – perhaps the cold dark winters have something to do with Scandinavian countries dominating the top five spots) and more than one in ten Icelanders will publish a book.

It’s certainly a country to inspire writers, with its vast ice caps, black volcanic beaches, bubbling mud pits, and a wealth of Norse mythology. Iceland has a long history of storytelling, stretching back to the famous Icelandic sagas; tales of Icelandic families whose ancestors migrated to Iceland from other northern European countries. Before the days of print or even handwritten books, these stories were passed down orally and many have been lost to time.

Whether historic sagas are your cup of tea or you prefer a lighter read, the tradition of giving books at Christmas is one any book lover can embrace. Not only can you share your favorite books with others, you’ll also receive plenty of new books to see you through the dark January days.

Here are a few ideas to start your own family holiday tradition:

Personal recommendation – buy the books which have given you the most enjoyment over the past year and match them to your loved ones’ tastes.

A blind date with a book – wrap your chosen books in brown paper, write a clue as to the genre or style of book on the outside and let people pick their own read.

Bookstore gift card – Not sure what book to buy for your fussy Aunt Mildred? A gift card for a local bookstore means she gets to pick exactly what she wants.

Gift an eBook – if you’re doing your Christmas shopping with just a few hours to go, it’s never too late to gift an eBook. If you live in the U.S., you can gift a specific eBook on Amazon and Nook, or you can buy a general gift card which can be redeemed against books of a recipient’s choice.

And in the spirit of gifting, I’ve got a free bookish gift for you this week. The Cursed Lands authors are giving away a special bonus pack of 15 eBooks to everyone who pre-orders the boxed set on iTunes, Nook or Kobo for 99c.

Even if you don’t have an e-reader, the Nook app can be downloaded on any smartphone, tablet or computer.

This blog is the place where I post reviews of the books I have read. I review audiobooks, regular books and eBooks for authors and publishers as well as any other book or audiobook that catches my eye.